Electrical apparatus



Feb. 19, 1935.

D. R. STAPLETON ET AL 1,992,103

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Filed Feb. 13, 1933 i6 fiorzaifil zgvzefon CK vElNTOR THEIR ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 19, 1935 i I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Donald R. Stapleton and-William D. Pilcher, Loda, Ill.

' Application February 13, 1933, Serial No. 656,605

8 Claims; (01200-142) This invention relates to certain novel improveth eaded into an apert r in th Casing The mentsin an electrical apparatus. casing 14 includes a shield 30 having an opening An object of this invention is to provide a new 31 arranged to permit access to the circuit cut-out and useful combination of an electrical appa- 12. This opening is normally closed by means ratus, which may be a motor, generator, or other of a cover 32 fastened to the shield 30 through 5 apparatus, having an operating circuit, a pair of the medium ofscrews 33. contacts in the circuit, means urging the contacts M unted upon t e S pp member 13 is a out of engagement to open said circuit, and means pair of spaced terminals 16 which are connected effective to hold said contacts [in engagement in series with the operating circuit of the appaagainst the action of said urging means to close ratus, or field 11, (Fig. 6) by means of conductors 10 said circuit,.said holding means including an ele- 17. Pivotally attached, as at 18, to each of the ment thermally responsive to temperature variterminals 16 is a pair of yieldable conductive ations in and disposed in close proximity to said jaws 19 and each of these pairs of jaws 19 carries apparatus. the outer end of a relatively stationary contact Another object of the invention is to provide 20; theinner ends of these contacts 20 being at- 15, the new aforementioned combination in which tached, as at 22, to a non-conductive block or the thermal element is responsive to temperature body 21. variations in and is disposed in close proximity to Formed in the body 21 is an aperture 23 and the field of the motor or generator. slidably mounted in this aperture 23 is a bolt 20 Another object of the invention is to provide member 24 to the inner endof which is attached 20,

a new and improved cut-out. a thermally responsive element in the form of a Other objects will appear hereinafter. button 25 of low temperature fusing alloy, such, The invention consists in the novel combinafor example, as a bismuth alloypknown to fuse at tion and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter a preselectedtemperature. described and claimed. Insulatingly mounted on the bolt member 2 1, by 25 The invention will be best understood by refermeans of a. non-conductive bushing 26, is a movn t h a c mpany n d w s w n th able contact member 27 which normally bridges preferred form of I Q i II a h Qh the relatively stationary contacts 20 to close the Fi 1 S an eievfltionai w flcflhventiohal operating or field circuit. The movable contact i a apparatus n the form a mo d member 27 is urged out of contacting engageso l s r n t e, new Combination incl i ilhe ment with the relatively stationary contacts 20 i i Contact; by a spring 28 arranged on the bolt member 24. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical'sectional view However, spring 28 is normally held under tension showing the cut-out applied to a motor; and in ineffective position by the coaction of Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view of the cut-out; the bolt 24 and thermally responsive fusible but- 36 Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional .view of the same ton 2.5, which bears against the inner side of the on line 4--4 in g. 3; body 21 and surrounds the inner end of the Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the aperture 23 (Fig. 4). cut-out on line 55 in Fig. 4;.and A spring 29, having one end attached to the 6 is a diagrammatic View O E e Oi bolt 15 and its other end attached to the block 21, 40 t embodying h w ina i n. normally keeps the block 21 in the position of A conventional, electrical p a tus, wh c may Fig. 2 and holds the thermal element or fusible be a m t generator. or o h r ppa a us. is button 25 in close proximity to the field 11 of the generally i te at in t drawing and the motor or apparatus 10. However, should the appp t h wn be sp ifically a motor havparatus, that is the field 11 of the motor or gen- 46 l g l Acircllit Cut-011i? i i i nerator 10, become overheated, for any reason,

erally at 12 and is associated in the new Combinaeither due to electrical disturbances or surges in i31011 With the field The Cut-Out 12 is mounted the field circuit, or to heat generated by the rotaup n a suppor ing m b which n mm s tive parts, or for any other reason, above the pre- 50 mounted p a po of the motor or generator selected fusing point of the button 25, the button 50 Casing 14 in 61059 Proximity to t apparatus 10 25 will fuse; whereupon the member 24 is freed d, more p fi t0 h fi ld 11. In the formovement in the aperture 23 and the tenp h instance h o ntin of the pp g sioned spring 28 becomes effective to urge the member 13 upon the casing 14 is effected by a bolt bolt member-24 (to the right Fig. 2, to the left,

15 that is extended through the member 13 and Fig. 4) and the movable contact 27 out of engagement with the relatively stationary contacts 20 to open the operating or field circuit. Thus the movable contact member 27 is urged out of engagement with the relatively stationary contacts 20 and the operating or field circuit of the motor or generator is thus operated so that the motor or generator is stopped and injury to or destruction of the same prevented.

Thus, it will be seen that the circuit cut-out 12 may easily be reached for repair purposes by merely removing the cover 32. The pivotal or swingable mounting of the circuit cut-out permits the device to be shifted to a position permitting quick and easy access for repair purposes. In other words, the device is completely available without disassembly of the shield from the frame part 14 or the disconnection of the wiring or other parts of the device.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying our invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A cut-out for dynamo-electric machines, comprising a supporting block shaped to be fastened to the dynamo-electric machine in close proximity to its field, a pair of spaced terminals swingably connected with said supporting block and comprising a part of the circuit for the dynamo-electric machine, a terminal supporting block, a pair of spaced terminal members carried by said terminal supporting block and arranged in electrical contact with said first-named pair of spaced terminals, a bridge element electrically connecting said terminal members, to close the circuit through the dynamo-electric machine, spring means urging said bridge element out of contact with said terminal members, to break the circuit for the dynamo-electric machine, and fusible means resisting movement of the bridge element away from said terminal mem bers and having a portion arranged in operative relation with the field of the dynamo-electric machine, to be fused by excessive heat generated in the environment of said field, to release said bridge element and break the circuit for the dynamo-electric machine.

2. A cut-out for dynamo-electric machines, comprising a supporting block shaped to be fastened to the dynamo-electric machine in close proximity to its field, a pair of spaced terminals swingably connected with said supporting block and comprising a part of the circuit for the dynamo-electric machine, a terminal supporting block, a pair of spaced terminal members carried by said terminal supporting block and arranged in electrical contact with said first-named pair of spaced terminals, a bridge element electrically connecting said terminal members, to close the circuit through the dynamo-electric machine, spring means urging said bridge element out or contact with said terminal members, to break the circuit for the dynamo-electric machine, fusible means resisting movement of the bridge element away from said terminal members and having a portion arranged in operative relation with the field of the dynamo-electric machine, to be fused by excessive heat generated in said field, to release said bridge element and break the circuit for the dynamo-electric machine, and a spring urging said fusible means in the direction of said field.

3. A cut-out for dynamo-electric machines, comprising a supporting block shaped to be fastened to the dynamo-electric machine in close proximity to its field, a pair of spaced lugs fastened to said supporting block, a terminal piv otally connected with each of said lugs and comprising a part of the circuit for the dynamoelectric machine, a terminal supporting block, a pair of spaced terminal members carried by said block and arranged in electrical contact with said first-named terminals, a bridge element electrically connecting said terminal members, to close the circuit through the dynamo-electric machine, spring means urging said bridge element out of contact with said terminal members, to break the circuit for the dynamo-electric machine, and fusible means resisting movement of the bridge element away from said terminal members and having a portion arranged in operative relation with the field of the dynamo-electric machine, to be fused by excessive heat generated in the environment of said field, to release said bridge element and break the circuit for the dynamo-electric machine, and spring means urging said fusible means in the direction of said field.

4. In a dynamo-electric machine, a block of insulating material shaped to be fastened to the dynamo-electric machine in close proximity to its field, a pair of conducting members pivotally connected with said block and comprising a part of the operating circuit for the dynamo-electric machine, a floating block of insulating material, a pair of contact members secured to the floating block and arranged in electrical contact with said conducting members, a bridge electrically connecting said contact members, a bolt passing through said floating block and said bridge and having an abutment engaging the bridge, a spring positioned between said floating block and the bridge to urge the latter out of electrical contact with said contact members, and a fusible element connected with said bolt and arranged in close relation to said field and resisting movement of the bridge away from said contact members, said fusible element fusing at a predetermined temperature, to permit said spring to move the bridge out of contact with said contact members and break the circuit for the dynamo electric machine.

5. In a dynamo-electric machine, a block of insulating material shaped to be fastened to the dynamo-electric machine in close proximity to its field, a pair of conducting members pivotally connected with said block and comprising a part of the operating circuit for the dynamo-electric machine, a floating block of insulating material, a pair of contact members secured to the floating block and arranged in electrical contact with said conducting members, a bridge electrically connecting said contact members, a bolt passing through said floating block and said bridge and having an abutment engaging the bridge, a spring positioned between said floating block and the bridge to urge the latter out of electrical contact with said contact members, a fusible element connected with said bolt and arranged in close relation to said field and resisting movement of the bridge away from said contact members, said fusible element fusing at a predetermined temperature, to permit said spring to move the bridge out of contact with said contact members and break the circuit for the dynamoelectric machine, and a spring connecting said blocks of insulating material with said floating block, to urge the latter in the direction of said field.

6. A cut-out for dynamo-electric machines, comprising a U-shaped member having the ends of its legs arranged to be movably connected with the dynamo-electric machine in close proximity to its field, said member comprising a part of the circuit for the dynamo-electric machine, a fusible element carried by said member and arranged in operative relation with the field of the dynamo-electric machine, means comprising a part of said member rendered operable when said fusible element is fused, to break the circuit through the dynamo-electric machine, and means for moving the cut-out bodily and yieldingly holding the same in operative relation with the field.

'7. A cut-out for dynamo-electric machines, comprising a member arranged to be pivotally connected with the dynamo-electric machine in close proximity to its field, said member comprising a part of the circuit for the dynamo-electric machine, a fusible element carried by said member and arranged in operative relation with the field of the dynamo-electric machine, spring means rendered operable when said fusible element is fused, to break the circuit through the dynamo-electric machine, and means for moving the cut-out bodily and yieldingly holding the same in operative relation with the field.

8. A cut-out for dynamo-electric machines, comprising a member arranged to be swingably connected with the dynamo-electric machine in close proximity to its field, said member comprising a part of the circuit for the dynamo-electric machine, a fusible element carried by said memher and arranged in operative relation with the field of the dynamo-electric machine, spring means rendered operable when said fusible element is fused, to break the circuit through the dynamo-electric machine, and means for moving the cut-out bodily and yieldingly holding the same in operative relation with the field.

DONALD R. STAPLETON. WILLIAM D. PILCI-IER. 

